The Bureau of Integrated Rural Development (BIRD) at KNUST, in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service (GES), has inducted six Advisory Committee Members (ADCMs) to guide a project focused on exploring the impact of culturally responsive teaching practices on the social and emotional development of students in diverse early childhood classrooms in Ghana.

This project aims to create culturally responsive curriculum materials and teaching resources for early-grade classrooms, particularly for minority ethnic groups.

The project will also develop pedagogical techniques that align with cultural norms, enhance teacher capacity in equitable early learning, and produce scalable professional development modules for nationwide use.

Prof. George Kankam, Chairman of the ADCMs, expressed enthusiasm for the project, emphasizing the importance of preserving Ghana's cultural heritage in education.

He highlighted the project as a significant step toward using indigenous pedagogies to improve education for marginalized groups.

"Throwing away our culture, from adults to the younger generation, is deeply troubling, and I believe this research is a clarion call, especially as it begins at the foundational stages. To me, this project feels like a divine and timely intervention for our nation.

Western teaching methods often disregard the cultural strengths of non-Akan ethnic groups, causing disengagement. Teachers also lack the necessary training to use culturally responsive practices, which could improve the self-efficacy and school adjustment of diverse students.

Therefore, this study aims to address these gaps by developing and evaluating culturally responsive interventions that will improve teacher practices and support the social and emotional development of diverse learners in early childhood settings.

Inducting the committee, Prof. Dadson Awunyo-Vitor, Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, commended the advisory committee and expressed support for the project.

"We thank those who accepted to serve as the advisory committee members, the College is available to support you if there is anything to make you better.

"To the team that is actually holding the project, we thank you for what you have done and with the way you have started, everything clearly shows that you are likely to have a good project implementation," he said.

Dr. Monica Addison, Director of BIRD, expressed enthusiasm for an innovative project and highlighted the crucial role of the Advisory Committee in ensuring its success. She conveyed confidence in the collaboration and the team's guidance.

Prof. Paul Sarfo-Mensah echoed the commitment to making the project successful for both the university and the nation.

The ADCMs also met with the Vice-Chancellor and senior BIRD members to discuss the project further.